11-year-old is cleaning neighbours bins for $10 as teens are hit with the worst summer jobs market - Fortune

What the report says

Fortune reports that Ashton Meyer, an 11-year-old in East Gwillimbury, Ontario, has turned a search for summer spending money into a small trash-bin cleaning business. After school ended in May, Meyer began going door to door offering to wash neighbors’ garbage, recycling and green bins for $10 each, while sharing the effort on Instagram and TikTok with help from his family.

According to Fortune, the business has grown to about 40 clients, generated roughly $700 in earnings, and attracted more than 111,000 Instagram followers in two months. Meyer told the outlet he wants to be an entrepreneur and plans to keep working after school and on Saturdays when weather permits. He is also considering seasonal services such as leaf raking and snow removal.

The article places Meyer’s project against a difficult summer employment backdrop for young people, saying teenagers are facing the weakest summer job market since 1948. Fortune links that pressure to reduced availability of entry-level and part-time roles, with employers and households cautious amid inflation, higher living costs and uncertainty around artificial intelligence.

The story matters as a small example of how some young people are trying to create their own income opportunities when conventional teen jobs are harder to find. Fortune also notes that Meyer’s social media audience has prompted interest from other families and children considering similar neighborhood services, though his experience includes frequent rejections as well as customers.